a pity, since that was the only
thing that would have satisfied both parties. Prince Vivien was fully
aware of the feeling in his favour, but being too honourable to wish to
injure his pretty cousin, and perhaps too impatient and volatile to care
to think seriously about anything, he suddenly took it into his head
that he would go off by himself in search of adventure. Luckily this
idea occurred to him when he was on horseback, for he would certainly
have set out on foot rather than lose an instant. As it was, he simply
turned his horse's head, without another thought than that of getting
out of the kingdom as soon as possible. This abrupt departure was a
great blow to the State, especially as no one had any idea what had
become of the Prince. Even King Gridelin, who had never cared for
anything since the disappearance of Queen Santorina, was roused by this
new loss, and though he could not so much as look at the Princess
Placida without shedding floods of tears, he resolved to see for himself
what talents and capabilities she showed. He very soon found out that in
addition to her natural indolence, she was being as much indulged and
spoilt day by day as if the Fairy had been her grandmother, and was
obliged to remonstrate very seriously upon the subject. Lolotte took his
reproaches meekly, and promised faithfully that she would not encourage
the Princess in her idleness and indifference any more. From this moment
poor Placida's troubles began! She was actually expected to choose her
own dresses, to take care of her jewels, and to find her own amusements;
but rather than take so much trouble she wore the same old frock from
morning till night, and never appeared in public if she could possibly
avoid it. However, this was not all, King Gridelin insisted that the
affairs of the kingdom should be explained to her, and that she should
attend all the councils and give her opinion upon the matter in hand
whenever it was asked of her, and this made her life such a burden to
her that she implored Lolotte to take her away from a country where too
much was required of an unhappy Princess.

The Fairy refused at first with a great show of firmness, but who could
resist the tears and entreaties of anyone so pretty as Placida? It came
to this in the end, that she transported the Princess just as she was,
cosily tucked up upon her favourite couch, to her own Grotto, and this
new disappearance left all the people in despair, and Gridel